If you throw water into the air at minus 40 degrees in Finnish Lapland, it solidifies into ice in flight: “It’s very fascinating – and it really works, we’ve tried it,” says Jens Bewersdorf. Together with his wife Hanka, he has been travelling all over Europe in their Concorde Liner for around four years. Not only in summer, but also in truly extreme conditions in winter. The thermometer read up to 45 degrees below zero when the pair travelled far north for a few weeks on eternally white roads last season.
See the Northern Lights and moose
They wanted to see the Northern Lights, go snowmobiling and husky sledding, see moose and snow hares, take extraordinary photos during the famous “blue hour” with its atmospheric light and enjoy the endless winter white. All these wishes came true. And her Bernese mountain dog Balu also really enjoyed the snow: he really enjoyed the cold and romped around outside.
Jens Bewersdorf runs his own insurance agency and can therefore travel quite flexibly, while his wife is a teacher: “That’s why we rely on holidays, but we often make full use of them.” They have already travelled almost all of Europe in their motorhome and have been to Sardinia, Tuscany, Sicily, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Croatia and Slovenia. “We used to travel to many destinations on motorbikes. Today, we travel more slowly and comfortably in the Concorde.” Even on the winter tour, they always found a pitch without any complications: “Even if the campsites are officially closed in winter, they were usually happy to let us in when we asked and provided us with a pitch with electricity.”
They didn’t need the sling chains
On their first winter trip over Christmas and New Year’s Eve a few years ago, the couple were still travelling in a vehicle from another manufacturer. “It was only minus 20 degrees, but we still had serious problems with the vehicle. It had front-wheel drive and simply wasn’t really winter-proof,” says Bewersdorf. This was one of the reasons why the couple bought a Concorde around four years ago. And equipped it with Mercedes-Benz skid chains before the first trip into the cold: “But we didn’t need them at all, despite all the snow – the traction of the tractor unit was more than enough.”
They hadn’t even expected the conditions to be as tough as they encountered. “The vehicle really coped brilliantly,” enthuses Jens Bewersdorf. “We have a diesel heater and a normal gas heater on board and one of them was always enough to keep the car warm even at minus 45 degrees. The only challenge was that the engine naturally didn’t get as warm at such low temperatures. So we had to turn up the heat and my wife then snuggled up in the passenger seat with a blanket and drank tea.” Hanka Bewersdorf actually thought it was really great: “It was cosy, like at home on the sofa.” There was also a sauna on almost every campsite and you can light a fire: “It was all very romantic and nice.” She enjoys holidays in a motorhome at any time of year: “I always say that the Concorde is my second home: we want for nothing in it, the furnishings are high quality and we feel very comfortable. Above all, the driving experience is so relaxed.”
Thorough preparation recommended
The pair advise anyone dreaming of such a tour to prepare thoroughly. “You need enough gas bottles, for example: When it was really cold, one was empty after just twelve hours,” says Jens Bewersdorf. “That’s why we used Scandinavian gas bottles, which you can easily exchange at any petrol station or supermarket.” You should also pack plenty of food: “Restaurants are only available in ski resorts. We even had a barbecue at minus 40 degrees. The Finns were absolutely delighted when we got our barbecue out.” And apart from the practical aspects, the pair advise flexibility above all: “You have to adapt to the local conditions: In winter, for example, there are hardly any people out and about. However, this also means that you see much more, experience more and are more aware of it. That’s exactly why we can only recommend such tours: They are simply extraordinary.”
They have cancelled a tour that they had planned for the coming winter for the best of reasons: the two will soon be grandparents. However, they still have one big goal: in around five years’ time, they want to retire early and spend several years travelling the world, via the Pan-American Highway and in a second part via Russia, Mongolia and China to Asia, Australia and New Zealand – all in a Concorde.
About Concorde Reisemobile GmbH
A passion for motorhomes: the entire Concorde team works and lives by this motto. All employees and all trade partners associated with the company stand for this unique enthusiasm, honest emotion and unrivalled passion for Concorde motorhomes. Thanks to their commitment, motorhomes are created in Aschbach that are exemplary in their quality of workmanship, pioneering in their innovations, exemplary in their economic and ecological sustainability and stable in value. This corporate philosophy is the basis for a long-standing tradition, intensive customer loyalty and the respect of the entire caravanning industry. Motorhome enthusiasts throughout Europe associate Concorde with the values of trust, safety and reliability!
Contact
Concorde Reisemobile GmbH
Concorde-Straße 2-4
96132 Schlüsselfeld-Aschbach
Tel.: +49 9555 9225 0
E-Mail: info@concorde.eu
Web: https://www.concorde.eu/
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 17:00
Friday: 8:00 – 13:45
Further contact options, emergency numbers, service and spare parts as well as the team can be found here: https://www.concorde.eu/unternehmen/kontakt-oeffnungszeiten/
